Some teams will release lean rough mvp to masses fast, some will do mvp as a fragmented feature test in an already validated market to few early adopters. Some will do full products as the viability needs more in already established space.
👉 No #startup will have the same path.
The mpv is to validate a thesis around a problem/solution & marketing/research around it is to test if there is a need, want, desire & at what price point. Many of these things you can find out without building.
On the other end, in crowded market with many sophisticated solutions, rolling out an excel style 3 button app might not give the best step forward, especially if the user is accustomed to 1.better 2.their need is not dire.
Since many companies will make money on improving instead of innovating from scratch, the mvp will have to reflect what market & space you are entering. This should also be used to understand how much runway you need & at what is worth building on the budget you have.
Many of us will not land into space of effortless innovation & come up with new things from scratch. I don’t. I tend to improve on things & for that I know in certain sectors I will have to compromise on speed, focus on micro validation & aim at high quality versus quick & dirty.
What is the viability benchmark of an average user for your early #startup? Are you in the field where there are many sophisticated solutions or are you creating a whole new category with your product?
Sidenote: I worry, as the users are becoming more & more technologically proficient & visually conditioned, that only #startups that will stand the test of time are those who have significant funds to bankroll builds to point of necessary viability for the target.
AKA the entry point is higher & higher. MVPs of 10 years ago would not fly now. So, how to make more consumer friendly mvps without losing time & money.
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I’ve recently came to terms that as you improve your well-being, you will have to leave some, if not all friendships that you built earlier in life prior to change. 😕
This feels in particular true if you are changing class position & have less of a scarcity approach to life.
I used to think that if you invest time, money & effort in people, it would motivate for becoming more proactive & change outlooks + outcomes. And to some level it does.
But unless systems they are in support that change, majority just reverts back.
I’ve been very sensitive lately to negativity, anxiety & scarcity that certain friend units share together and have realised that for some it is the only operating mode. This perpetual reality of misery (often misplaced).
Today, we have decided that Chunkie as a company will not seek or take any investments.
We will not make any investor pitch decks anymore, & I will not meet with investors in the future.
Here is my why 🧵👇
1. Let's start with the basics - women do not get funding.
The statistics are so bad that the issue won't change during my life, as it is much worse than this industry is willing to talk about.
2. Marginal winners of funding are only those with friendships & relationships inside the circle.
Fundraising as a woman outside of that circle is a dehumanising & invalidating experience. Especially in the stage, we are in. I refuse to put myself through this anymore.
Let’s talk boundaries. 👌
Few years ago had a collegue I decided to distance from as the friendship ran its course. They kept texting me every few months despite me telling them that at this moment I need time to focus on family stuff. 🧵
As I gave 2 instances of explanations where I said that I can’t give attention & taking time to focus on family matters, they persisted to contact me from text to Linkedin. I was short in initial answers and reiterating the same msg that at this time I am focusing on family.
At this point, I started getting annoyed. I thought about boundaries & when it is appropriate for someone to back off. How many signals need to be sent & is it truly on us to be unpleasant or directly crushing to maintain our right to step back?